Furnace of Passion
by filtered
Summary: Arkham has done patrols for his guild, looking for new players in need of assistance. Never before has he been on a patrol where he falls for a cheerful blacksmith with a childish attitude that he adores. Now all he wants to do is please her; no small feat thanks to an old heartache that might come back to haunt her. Will Arkham leave his guild for this new girl in his life?
1. Chapter 1

Sitting here now as the rain pours outside, it really is hard to believe that I made it out safely. The whole thing seems silly when you think about it... one caring and powerful soul was able to free everyone form the curse that shocked the world in 2024. My eyes are still killing me. That's my only memento from the horror, aside from _her_. You'll know who _she _is by the end of this tale. My angel, my morning, my... blacksmith?

Yes, I believe she was my exclusive blacksmith. I think she still will be if I even _touch_ anything related to Sword Art Online. I've quit that stupid game and I have no interest in returning for a long, long time (probably a week or two; time is weird for me). The tale itself, well, was actually more of a happy story than a sad one based on the experiences.

* * *

I can't remember exactly what time I started playing, but I remember hearing the announcement on Floor 1 and trying to remain as calm as possible, using the chaos around me as an advantage. Although that may sound selfish and cruel, letting everyone around me go nuts, it worked strictly to my advantage. I was able to single out several calm players, ones who were either beta testers or just smart enough not to run amok and get themselves killed in the first few hours. I approached each of them with the purpose of starting a guild, one that would help out new players and calm them down. Luckily, I was blessed with players who shared my interests, and we started a guild. We wanted the name to sound mysterious, not so much intimidating, one that wouldn't attract a large amount of players. We decided on the Dancing Shadows.

Months passed and things went well for the guild. The fourteen of us were assigned a floor to patrol (yes, I was taking orders in the guild that I formed; I stepped down as leader days after the guild was formed), looking for players in need of assistance, catching thieves, etc. As fate would have it, I was assigned Floor 48 on July 28th. As with all the other routine patrols, I walked around the floor, looking if anyone needed service. I had just helped out a rather new player with problems with his inventory when a strong, dusty smell hit my nostrils like a ton of bricks.

"See, you take your pointer finger and..." I paused and looked up at the "sky".  
"Hm? What's up, man?"  
"You don't smell that? It's raining."  
"That's nonsense, it doesn't rain here!" Heavy drops fell and thunder roared. "...Oh."

The rain came down hard and I quickly looked around for cover. As I did, I heard splashing noises and turned around, seeing a pink-haired girl run with boxes in her hands. I called out.

"Hey! You shouldn't be running in this weather! Hey!"  
"Huh?"

The girl turned to look back at me when she stepped in a puddle and slipped, falling on her bottom. The boxes that she was carrying opened and the supplies inside fell to the floor. I cringed as they shattered in blue particles and ran over to her as fast as I could.

"Hey, you alright? Sorry, I didn't mean to distract you, I-"  
She quickly stood up, walked over and looked up at me closely with a blush on her face. "You freaking idiot! Why did you have to call me? I would have seen where I was going!"  
"Clam down, I was just trying to..."

My sentence trailed off as she waited for me to finish my sentence. She was... attractive the first time I laid my eyes on her. Even with a look of anger and annoyance on her face, she looked... cute. My heart wasn't full of the feelings that it was when I saw her repair my sword back at her shop, but it got off to a good start.

"Why didn't you just put the supplies back in your inventory?"  
"I panicked when the rain fell, okay? Give me a break!"  
"Alright alright. Seriously though, I can help you get some new supplies if you tell me where you got them from."

She examined me closely, no doubt suspicious about what I was wearing; the Dancing Shadows uniform consisted of a hooded robe, quite similar to the Laughing Coffin's uniform. She stepped back uneasily.

"Don't worry, I'm not a creeper," I said, chuckling.  
"You... sure about that? If you're lying, I can easily beat you to a pulp. I'm good with a mace, you know."  
"Yeah." I told her about the Dancing Shadows and my patrolling. She sighed with relief and gave me a comforting smile, one that somehow warmed me up despite the cold feeling from the rain. _What in God's name is going on right now?_  
"That's a relief, I wasn't in the mood for any more trouble."  
"So, what exactly happened?"  
"I was just picking up supplies from another floor and it started raining. I teleported back here and was running on my way to my shop when..." She shrugged.  
"Oh. I have some extra teleport crystals on me, we can get your stuff back."  
"It's fine, those were just some extra supplies, nothing necessary."

I looked at her outfit curiously; she looked more like a waitress than anything else in that dress.

"What kind of restaurant do you work in?"  
She shot me another uneasy glance, this time with a bit of anger. "What the hell are you talking about? I'll have you know that I'm a blacksmith, and a pretty damn good one."  
"Oh, my mistake. Sorry again about earlier, by the way."  
Her uneasy glance turned into a devious smile, one that I would find myself falling in love with soon. She examined me closely again with her chin in her palm.  
"No worries, but it looks like your armor needs some repair."

I looked at my armor and sighed, realizing that she was right. I stopped a gang of thieves who were preying on a newbie a few hours ago and didn't even think about repairs. I looked back up at her and that devious smile she wore, almost blushing at her childish and playful demeanor.

"...I guess you're right. I don't suppose you could help a fellow out?"  
"Well, since you were just trying to help me out, I suppose I could assist you." She turned around and looked back, raindrops delicately slipping down her face, her freckles dim.

"My shop is this way!" She called playfully.


	2. Chapter 2

"So, how long have you been a blacksmith?" I asked, the rain finally beginning to cease.  
"Since I started playing," she replied. "I guess I sort of had a passion for it."  
"Doesn't sound very surprising, there are a lot of warm-hearted players who enjoy helping out others."  
"Not to mention that it really helps out when you need to save your own skin," she said, and we laughed.

As we made our way to her shop (a well-kept one at that), she told me that her name was Lisbeth, Liz to her friends. I asked her if I counted as a "friend" and to my surprise, she said yes.

"Really?" I had asked. "I'm a friend?"  
"Is that so hard for you to believe?"  
"Not really, I'm just a bit surprised, considering we just met and all."  
"Look at it this way; you were trying to do me a huge favor and had the heart to help me out even though I snapped at you. That's pretty friendly, if you ask me."  
"I suppose."

The inside of the shop was as well-kept as the outside. There were swords and weapons on display (no doubt her own creations) and a door behind the counter. I unequipped my armor and asked her how much I owed her.

"Don't worry, it's free of charge."  
"Seriously? Even with the metal prices?"  
She gave me a blank stare. "I'm not making you a sword, I'm just giving repairs. Stuff like that doesn't matter."

I gave her an annoyed look and turned my head towards the other displays. As I checked my inventory (something that became a habit pretty quickly), a friend request popped up. I brought my head around the message and looked at Liz, who had a look of frustration from behind the counter.

"What the hell are you waiting for?"  
"Why are you sending me a request?" I asked. Small little cogs turned in my head (I wasn't the brightest SAO player) and a blush crept onto my face.  
"Wha-? Ugh, not like that! It's just a request since I'm fixing your crap. Calm down!"  
"Fine, fine, sorry." I pressed the "accept" button, ignoring the fact that I saw a blush on her face as well.

...

Five minutes passed as I waited for Lisbeth (I'll be calling her Liz for the rest of this tale) to walk back out of whatever was behind that door next to the counter with my repaired armor. The small, somewhat claustrophobic feeling of the blacksmith's shop became a bit overwhelming and I was about to step outside when she came back.

"Here you go, good as new!"

Damn it. Her childish demeanor was back, and I was still falling in love with it. As I received my armor, I noticed that my sword was also in need of repairs. Damn it. Again.

"Hey, uh, thanks, but there's something else that I-"  
She sighed. "Your sword right?"  
I chuckled. "Yeah, I forgot."  
"Hand it over."

I followed her instructions, but this time, decided to follow her through the door near the counter.

...

The door opened to a staircase leading down into a furnace room. There were pretty common blacksmith tools, including a small billboard with a picture on it. As I examined the picture- one that showed Liz next to other blacksmiths- I heard her sharpening my sword. I turned my head, and my love for her began.

I donʻt know what exactly I fell in love with first as I watched her sharpen my sword. At first I thought it was how serious she was with her work; being so childish all the time yet so serious with what needed to be done. Or maybe it was that devious smile she gave me earlier that found its way into my head again. Either way, I was taken aback and could hardly speak, even when she was finished.

"There, that should cover everything!" She said, sheathing my sword. "No offense, but I thought you would have a stronger sword considering that you're part of a guild made to protect other players."  
"Our guild leader holds on to all the rare drops and swords. I know it's strange, but I'm not too concerned about it considering that I know Joshua pretty well."  
"I suppose that makes sense."

I thanked my lucky stars that she didn't notice the blush on my face as I thanked her for her time. I was also pretty grateful that she didn't charge me for my weapon repair, either. What she told me last was exciting:

"Since you're a friend, come by and visit sometime! Even if you don't need repairs, it would be nice to have someone to talk to if the shop is empty."

Yes. I could do that, most definitely. I made plans with my guild to patrol floor 48 the next day; no way in hell I was going to pass up a chance like this. I wasn't too good with girls back in the real world; of course, I had never fallen in love like that before, not even in real life. The guild approved of my absence, but not before Joshua gave me a gift and a bit of advice.

"Something is telling me that it won't be long before this game is beaten," he had told me. He was acting strange that evening, stranger than usual.  
"Don't we all need to finish the last floor to get out of here?"  
"I'm not sure... it's just a hunch. That's why I'm giving you all of your drops, including your high-level sword. That, and because I'm friends with you in the real world."  
"Shiro..." I couldn't remember the last time I called him by his real name. Two years, I believe.

He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Good luck to you, Baraki." He walked outside and disappeared.

I never saw him again.


	3. Chapter 3

"Whoa! Where the hell did you get this sword?"  
"Honestly? I can't remember... I think it was from a dungeon somewhere on the higher floors."  
"Really now..."

It was July 30th, and I was exhausted. There was no sign of Joshua, our guild Commander; I was the last one who spoke to him and I had all of my drops and weapons with me, so I was the prime suspect for his disappearance. Thankfully, I was able to plead against my guild's accusations and it turned out that Joshua had given drops to other members of the guild. Despite my newfound innocence, I was placed on temporary suspension until further notice.

That's right, I was put on suspension from the guild that _I _had formed. I suppose I deserved it for being too scared to manage other players and stepping down as leader. Believe it or not, I actually welcomed the break that I "deserved;" It took off the strain of having to deal with new players this late in the game and gave me a chance to see Liz again. I couldn't complain with those bonuses.

I arrived at Liz' shop at noon and told her of the unfair accusations. Although she was comforting, she seemed just a bit more interested in what my rare drops and weapons were.

"Brother's Keeper... this sword is _really _rare! Are you _sure _you don't remember where you got this from?"  
I shook my head. "Keep in mind that I didn't even get to see this drop before Joshua hoarded everything... he really changed. He was such a loud-mouth in real life, now... well, I have no idea _where_ he is now, but he was surprisingly calm."  
"I guess people really change when they enter this game..."  
"Yeah, I can see why."  
"Oh! By the way, since you're off-duty, you should stick around; I'm having a friend come over for repairs."  
"A friend?" I asked curiously. I didn't know that she had other friends, but I assumed she had some regulars who came by in need of assistance. "Is he a regular?"  
"Sort of; you see I'm... his exclusive blacksmith."  
"Interesting... who made that decision, exactly?"

She gave me another look if annoyance.

"Does that really matter?"  
"Hey, I'm just wondering. I'm guessing he must be a pretty kind person if you're his exclusive and everything."

To this she said nothing. I noticed that she was a bit sad, almost heartbroken. She turned around, hand on her heart.

"Yeah, he's... he's pretty... nice..." Her voice was breaking. I went to place a hand on her shoulder when she turned around with a smile, blinking tears. "Well, it's nothing to worry about now," she said cheerfully.

We talked for about ten or fifteen minutes (mostly about our lives outside of the game, turns out I was two years older than her. We didn't trade names just yet, though). As we talked, we heard a familiar bell ring and a new face walked in.

She was quite pretty; had long, orange hair, her eyes the same color. I noticed that she was wearing the uniform of the Knights of the Blood Oath and groaned on the inside. All I needed was another of _those_, telling me that my guild was "unnecessary," that there were already players who were helping others, that it was "obsolete"._  
_

Her attitude, however, was much different. She said hello to Liz as she walked in.

"Hey, Asuna!" Liz said."Hi Liz, do you mind fixing my sword again?"  
"Sure thing!"  
"Kirito is coming over later, by the way."

"Asuna" looked up at me. "Oh! You're part of Dancing Shadows, aren't you?"  
"Yeah, my name is Arkham. It's a pleasure."  
"Likewise. I'm actually glad what you're guild is doing, despite what some of the other members of K.O.B are saying. There's nothing wrong with helping out new players, if you ask me."

She said this with such confidence that I almost blushed. _She must have a lot of guys crushing on her,_ I thought.

I was on my way outside for a breather (normally a smoke break; yes, I had a smoking problem at 16; I didn't tell Lisbeth that, not yet, at least) when I heard a little conversation that stopped me dead in my tracks. As I opened the front door, I heard Asuna say something rather loudly to Liz as they walked through the door behind the counter.

"Hey Liz, that guy you're hanging out with is a keeper!"

She said this with a morbid sense of sarcasm, as if she was just poking fun. I was right.

"Asuna!" Liz responded embarrassingly, "cut it out! You're not one to make fun."  
"Relax, I'm just kidding. Seriously though, he's very nice. I've met a few people from Dancing Shadows and they're usually quiet and unresponsive... he's much different."

I couldn't help but chuckle quietly about her experience with some of the members of my guild; her opinion of them was pretty much on the money. As for Asuna teasing Liz, well, that wasn't very disheartening to hear. I know that it was only my first time hearing a conversation between two girls about me being "a keeper" (or any sort of compliment for that matter), but it still felt good. Little did I know that if I had waited just a few more minutes before taking a break, I would have heard the conversation that followed and my face would turn more red than the burning coals in Liz' furnace.

...

After seeing Asuna off (who was a bit irritated that "Kirito" did not show up as planned), Liz walked outside and greeted me. She had a slight blush on her face and refused to look directly at me.

"What's up?" I asked.  
"Hey... Arkham? Do you... have a place to stay since your on Guild Suspension?"  
I sighed, remembering about our Guild's rules involving suspension. "Yeah... but it's fine, I can just-""I want you to stay with me."

She caught me completely off guard and I blushed back.

"S-say what?"  
"You heard me. I want you to stay with me until your suspension is over."  
"W-Why?"  
"Because..."

"...Because I like you, Arkham."


	4. Chapter 4

Now that I think about it, my reaction must have looked pretty comical; eyes wide like old-fashioned soup-plates, my face a bright red. She didn't make fun of me, of course. Not even a smile. Just the same embarrassed look with a blush on her face.

I finally got myself together for what felt like hours and asked her to repeat herself.

"You heard me," she said, her voice cracking a bit. "I s-said that i like you."  
"What do you... what do you mean?"  
"Ugh, is it _that_ difficult to understand?"  
"Yeah."

I guessed that she had rehearsed her confession a few times and didn't expect my reaction to be so... confusing. She sighed with grief.

"Do I seriously need to explain _why _I like you? Haven't you figured it out already?"  
"I have a few guesses."  
"Yeah? Like what?"  
"Well... I guess... since I helped you out? Because I was polite? I'm not used to this at all."

She looked up at me with such compassion that I nearly chocked on my words.

"You're a sweet, kind idiot who reminds me of someone I knew. Someone who I fell in love with." She turned around and I could almost hear her trying not to cry. "That sounds pretty selfish, huh?"  
"Not really, I mean... if he meant that much to you..."  
"Listen... you don't have to stay with me if you don't want to. I know what I told you was pretty sudden, so..."

I couldn't resist chuckling at how strange the situation became. She turned around with a familiar look of anger and stepped on my foot rather painfully.

"Just what the hell do you think you're laughing for!? I'm spilling my feelings right now, and you're _laughing_!?"

Even with the pain in my foot, I continued to chuckle, even through what I said next.

"Liz, I like you too!"

She straightened up quickly, her eyes open wide, reminding me of how I looked minutes earlier. I don't think she expected this my reaction this time, either.

"W-what?"  
"Come on, it's not that hard to believe, is it?" I felt bad for mocking her with the same tone she used when speaking to me, but I couldn't resist.  
"Y-you're pulling my leg, aren't you?" She looked away again, head down.  
"Why would I be doing that, exactly?"  
"Because... I don't know, you..." She looked back at me. "You're being serious, aren't you."  
"...I'll stay with you, if you really want me to, okay? Just make sure the basement isn't too cold, I-"  
"Oh relax," she said, her cheerfulness slowly beginning to return. "You're sleeping on the living room couch."

...

And that's how things went. For a while, at least. I lived with her, had breakfast with her... but that was it. For some reason, we just couldn't get our emotions in check and start up some sort of relationship. As awkward as it sounds, it was actually a pretty great life. I remember waking up every morning on her couch with her looking down at me, asking me- in the sweetest tone my ears could ever imagine- what I wanted to eat.

It was around that time when my love for her grew so much that I barely ate without wanting to look up and stare at her. My nights became sleepless as I stayed up thinking about her. I know it was horribly cheesy, the way things played out, but that's how it was. I began to notice her "assets" just a bit more (keep in mind that although I was not too bright, I also wasn't very perverted) and found myself not wanting to head back to my guild, spending some nights praying (I don't think there was a god here, so I prayed to Akhiko Kayaba) that my suspension would lead to termination, that I would be found guilty of the murder of Joshua.

Then, about three days before my suspension was over, I was finally able to get the courage to ask her on a date.

We had just come back from getting supplies (coincidentally from the same floor that Liz had gotten her supplies on the day we met) and I remember her placing a box on her counter when I said her name.

"Hm?"  
"Listen, I've bean meaning... to ask you something."  
"Ask away."

She must have noticed the blush growing on my face because she smiled sweetly.

"What time... does your shop close?"

She was hit with realization and gave me that damn devious smile again. She leaned in dreadfully close and I was sure that my face was entirely red.

"Ooooh? Why do you ask?"  
I looked away. "Because... I was wondering if... you'd want to-"

She brought her face up to mine and poked the skin under my left eye with her nose. I shivered and backed away immediately; I forgot about that little ticklish spot I had under my left eye. It was a pain in the ass to deal with when I was young, what with it being an open part of my face. Any little touch in the area and I would tense up and shiver. I explained this to her when she asked me why I backed away.

She kept the smile on her face. "Oh, do you mean... right here?" She kept her finger on the spot and began to rotate. The morbid pleasure of it all almost made me take a knee and I started sweating.

"Liz... please... stop."  
"I don't think so... you're enjoying it, aren't you?"  
"I am, but... not now... please..."  
"Alright alright..." she finally backed away. "What were you going to ask me?"  
"You already know."  
"...I want _you_ to say it."  
"Fine... do you want to go out... on a date?"

Her devious smile turned into one of compassion. "Sure! Where to?"  
"Well... I know this place that has really good cheesecake on Floor 35, and I was hoping we could eat there."She hugged me for the very first time. It was... lovely. "That sounds great! My shop closes in 30 minutes."

...

She came back out of the shop 30 minutes later, this time in a casual outfit that I thought was adorable. I shook my head quickly, getting rid of the thoughts that found their way into my head (thoughts of after the date, I believe) and greeted her. She took my hand gently and smiled warmly, holding a teleport crystal in her hand.

"Let's go," she said sweetly.


End file.
